A Bronze Snake in the Wilderness

Festering Wound

READ: EPHESIANS 4:20-32; 5:25-27; JAMES 1:16-27 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EPHESIANS%204%3A20-32%3B%205%3A25-27%3B%20JAMES%201%3A16-27%20&version=NLT] Have you ever gotten a severe cut? I remember falling off my bike going down a steep hill too quickly. I got a deep gash in my knee, with blood soaking through the hole in my jeans. Right away, I hobbled on home to get it cleaned up and bandaged. Over the next few days, we washed rocks and debris out again and again. It was a slow, painful process, but it was necessary. If I left any dirt, rocks, or debris behind, infection could set in, causing a bigger problem. A festering wound can be pretty gross, smelly, and ugly. I wanted that gash dealt with quickly and completely so full healing could take place. Tending to that wound reminds me of how we need to tend to our anger. Ephesians 4:31 tells us to get rid of our selfish anger because it can fester into a much bigger problem, like wrath or bitterness. These are even harder to treat, and they can cause painful rifts in our relationships. When our anger hurts someone, those harsh words or actions, like the debris in my wound, need to be washed away with the water of the Word (who is Jesus) and with forgiveness. Once anger is washed away, add the healing balm of kindness and tenderheartedness (Ephesians 4:32). Go back and repeat the same steps as many times as necessary, just as I did with my gash. This whole process is only possible through Jesus. He has made the way for us to be forgiven through His death and resurrection. Because of God’s great love for us, He has cleansed us of our sins, healing our broken relationship with Himself and making the way for our relationships with other people to be healed too. • Deborah del Villar • What’s the difference between righteous and unrighteous anger? To know what’s righteous, we look to God. The Old Testament tells us God is “slow to anger” and “his anger lasts only a moment” (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 30:5). The New Testament tells us Jesus is God, and once we know Him, His Spirit lives in us. Since we have been forgiven through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and since we have the Holy Spirit, we are called to be “slow to get angry,” to be humble, and to love and forgive others as Jesus loves and forgives us (Ephesians 4:32; James 1:19-21; 1 John 4:19). Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about any anger in your heart. It’s okay if you don’t know how much of your anger is righteous and how much is unrighteous—you can be totally honest with Him as you rely on His grace and help. In addition to talking to Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you process your anger? Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger...Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)

Masterpiece

READ: LUKE 15:11-32; ROMANS 3:10-18, 23-26; EPHESIANS 2:1-10 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=LUKE%2015%3A11-32%3B%20ROMANS%203%3A10-18%2C%2023-26%3B%20EPHESIANS%202%3A1-10&version=NLT] Jarrod clung to his steed, spurring it faster. Dust thrown by thundering hooves swarmed behind him. His pursuers closed in. Hair on the back of Jarrod’s neck stood on end. He breathed frantic gasps, gagged on raw fear. “Bravo!” Jarrod said, pulling off the virtual reality headset and then carefully removing the fiber-optic gloves. “It’s perfect,” he said to the vendor, Reuben. “You were pleased with the Remington?” “I was. Does it work on all the paintings in the gallery?” Reuben nodded. “It allows the viewer to experience the very heart of the creation.” With greedy eyes, Jarrod studied the masterpiece. It now seemed strangely dull and lifeless. But paired with this new technology…Introducing it to museums would make him the envy of the art world. “Imagine delighting in Mona Lisa’s smile, indulging in the tranquility of Monet,” Reuben said, “or exploring Picasso…” “I’ll pass on Picasso, thank you,” Jarrod said with a chuckle. “Too surreal.” “Quite so,” Reuben agreed. “Shall we finish viewing the Western collection?” In response, Jarrod pulled the equipment back on. It felt disorienting at first, but he soon became accustomed to the swirl of color and sound. Familiar masterpieces blossomed to life as he strolled, one heart-pounding image bleeding into the next. And then… The stench of rotting flesh slammed Jarrod. A horror of a man dressed in filthy rags swallowed his vision. Malice bore into Jarrod’s mind like a thousand stinging maggots. Terror knocked him to his knees. Screaming, he ripped the headset off his head, yanking away the horror in a flash. Reuben crouched beside him. “Sir, are you alright?” Bile rose in Jarrod’s throat. “That artwork…it must be removed.” The room grew painfully quiet. Finally, Reuben said, “I’m afraid you are confused. There is no portrait on this wall.” “What?” Jarrod asked. Legs trembling, he stood. An arrogantly handsome face stared back at him. Reuben was correct. No artwork adorned the wall. Only a mirror. Jarrod stammered out a farewell to Reuben, then hurried away to another exhibit. Finding a bench, he sunk down, his head in his hands. When he finally looked up, he was startled at the artwork before him. A man was on his knees, dressed in filthy rags. Though it was only a sketch, Jarrod couldn’t tear his gaze away. For this man wasn’t alone—he was wrapped in a tender embrace. Who would touch such a disgusting man? Who would love him? Jarrod looked for the placard. It was a Rembrandt, and it was entitled: The Return of the Prodigal Son. • Lori Z. Scott • What stuck out to you in today’s allegorical story? When Jarrod looked in the mirror, he saw the state of his soul. The truth is, we’re all like Jarrod. We’re dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1), and all “our righteous deeds…are nothing but filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:3-8). We are desperately in need of God’s mercy. But the good news is, God has already extended His mercy to us. • In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, who rejected his father’s love and chose sin instead. When the son finally came to his senses and returned home as a beggar, how did his father respond? How does this show us how God responds to us whenever we turn to Him? • In Jesus, God has made the way for us to come home to Him, with all our sin and need, and be made new. Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins, and He rose from the dead to give us new life. How does Ephesians 2:1-10 describe us before we know Jesus—and how does it describe us once we are in Christ? (If you want to know more about the good news of Jesus, see our "Know Jesus [https://unlocked.org/knowjesus/]" page.) But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT)

Jesus, Coequal with God

READ: JOHN 1:1-3; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20; HEBREWS 1:1-4 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%201%3A1-3%3B%20COLOSSIANS%201%3A15-20%3B%20HEBREWS%201%3A1-4&version=CSB] Every generation has catchphrases. There was a popular saying in the early church that went something like this, “There was a time when He was not.” In fact, it was so popular that people would go around chanting it in the streets! What did the phrase mean? A pastor at the time by the name of Arius had started to circulate some unique ideas about Jesus, and one of those ideas was that Jesus was a lesser being than God the Father. To argue this point, Arius claimed that Jesus was created by God (hence the catchphrase). Does this view hold water when compared to the rest of Scripture? First, take a look at John 1. In this passage, John uses the title of “the Word” to describe Jesus. Not only was Jesus “with God in the beginning” (verse 2), He Himself “was God” (verse 1). This teaches us that Jesus existed in eternity past with God the Father. Notice John also writes, “All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created” (verse 3). If Jesus created all things, then how could He have been created? What about Colossians 1:15? In this verse, Paul refers to Jesus as “the firstborn over all creation.” Does that mean Jesus was created, or born from God? No! In Bible times, to be the firstborn was considered an honor. In this passage, Paul uses the term as a title indicating that Jesus deserves to be honored above all creation. In the following verse, Paul writes that everything that exists has been created by Jesus, just like John wrote in John 1. At the Council of Nicea in AD 325, Arius’s belief that Jesus was a created being and less than God was rightly rejected. We would say that Jesus and the Father are separate persons, but both fully and equally God. Therefore, we can be sure that there was NOT a time when He was not. • Jonathon Fuller • Why do you think believing Jesus is God is such an important part of being a Christian? How does it make you feel when you think about God Himself dying on the cross for us? • The word Trinity is how we describe that God is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What questions do you have about the Trinity? Who could you ask about it? • The controversy with Arius eventually resulted in the Nicene Creed, a brief summary of the gospel that unites Christians from around the world and throughout history. This creed is still read regularly in many churches today. If you’ve never read this creed, check it out! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (CSB)

Our Good Father

READ: PSALM 68:5-6; MATTHEW 7:9-11; LUKE 15:11-32; JOHN 10:27-30 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2068%3A5-6%3B%20MATTHEW%207%3A9-11%3B%20LUKE%2015%3A11-32%3B%20JOHN%2010%3A27-30&version=NIV] What is a good father like? One who loves his children—not for what they do (or don’t do) but simply because they’re his. Who takes the time to simply be there to listen to his children, share in their dreams, and build them up with words of encouragement. Who is a safe place and a shelter from harm. But in this broken world, not all fathers are good fathers, and no father is perfect. If you had no positive father influences in your life, the concept of a good father might seem as distant as the far side of the sea. Even if you have a father figure who is an amazing example of what a father should be, he’ll still let you down sometimes because we’re all sinners in need of a Savior. Whatever we’ve personally experienced when it comes to fathers, we have this common thread of hope: once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, God is our Father. He is THE Father—here before the world was formed, speaking all creation into existence. He made each one of us, and He delights in us! He loves us so deeply that He gave His own life for us, even when we wanted nothing to do with Him. Like in Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, God is always waiting for us with open arms when we return from our wandering. There are no limits to His love, no sin too appalling. He always searches for the one who is lost. He gives good gifts to His children. He listens every time we call to Him. He teaches us and helps us become more like Jesus. He rejoices over us with singing! Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, God has made the way for us to confidently approach His throne of grace, to find mercy and help in our time of need. He is our safe place, our refuge. He is the Rock we can stand on and the fortress we can hide in. He rescues us from sin and temptation…even from the grave! He strengthens us, protects us, encourages us. When we belong to our Father God, no one can snatch us out of His hands. • Savannah Coleman • What are some of the ways God has shown us He is a good Father? (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 18:2; Zephaniah 3:17; Luke 15:1-10; 19:10; John 1:1-14; 3:16-18; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:14-16; 13:5; James 1:17; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 5:7) • When you hear the word father, what comes to mind? If you’ve been abandoned or mistreated by your earthly father, know this: God wants so badly to be your Father that He suffered the cross for you. He will never abandon you. Consider taking some time to talk to God, letting your wounded heart be held and healed by the one who loves you unconditionally. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

I Want a Life Like That

READ: EPHESIANS 1:3-14; HEBREWS 13:5; 1 PETER 1:3-9; 5:7 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EPHESIANS%201%3A3-14%3B%20HEBREWS%2013%3A5%3B%201%20PETER%201%3A3-9%3B%205%3A7&version=NIV] Whoa…I want to live in a house like that. Whoa…I want a life like that. I want a family like that. I want to look like that. I want… Do you ever find yourself comparing your life to someone else’s? I know I spend a lot of time on social media, just dreaming of what life would be like if I could switch places with one person I follow. She seems to have it all together, and she seems to be content. But is she content because of everything she has…or because of her faith in God and the contentment He offers? Is she even content, or does she just look that way on social media? We compare ourselves to others all the time, and we quickly notice that we have less than some people do. We might start to feel like we haven’t been blessed like they have. We can easily find ourselves wanting more out of our lives—simply because we’ve seen others who seem to have things we don’t. This is called coveting. And God wants so much more for us than comparison and coveting. Jesus has come to give us life in abundance—and through His death and resurrection He has already poured out every blessing on us! So, what can we do when we realize we’re envious of someone else? We can turn to Jesus, remembering that He doesn’t play favorites, and He isn’t holding out on us. We can stop coveting as we rest in Jesus, thanking Him for what He’s given us. In this broken world, we won’t have perfect lives. But, no matter what, we are blessed because Jesus has made us part of His kingdom and given us an inheritance that will never be shaken. • Emily Acker • In what ways do you tend to compare yourself to other people? • What are some of the good things God has given you? What are some ways He has met your needs or brought you enjoyment? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this! (James 1:17) • God cares about all our needs, and one of the ways He provides for His people, is through His people. If you or someone you know doesn’t have what you need, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about this today? • If you want to dig deeper, read Exodus 20:17; Psalm 131:2; Matthew 6:25-34; 28:20; John 10:10; Romans 2:11; 8:32; 12:13; Philippians 4:4-19; 1 Timothy 6:5-21; Hebrews 12:28. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)